WhatsApp is one of, if not THE MOST important app on our smartphones these days. Thanks to its free messaging service that allows us to send not just texts, but also photos, videos, and almost any file, Most of us use it on a daily basis. Security is also not a concern as WhatsApp introduced encrypted chats and messages a few years back. However, a small group of people will be deprived of its functions after the 1st of January in the coming year of 2021.

#Withdrawing Support

Dropping support on older phones is nothing new and has been done before. What does this mean for users of older phones? It means that after you have had your New Year countdown, you will not be able to access the messaging app. Although some can try to update to the latest software to regain access, it'll be permanently inaccessible to most phones.

#Who Is Affected?

Any iPhones running on software older than iOS9 will be eliminated, that means your beloved iPhone 4 and any iPhones that came before it will not be able to access WhatsApp anymore. iOS9 is still available to be updated for iPhone 4S and above. 

Android users are not spared either, with any devices running Android 4.0.3 or older being dropped.

#What Can I Do?

If you are one of the unfortunate ones (kudos to you for surviving with such an old phone, though!) and do not want to lose your conversations, make sure to back them up before January 1, 2021. Just head to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup and start uploading your chats to the cloud! Oh, definitely keep your eye out for a new phone that can support WhatsApp too if you want to continue communicating with your friends and family through WhatsApp.